Asbestos is the common name for a group of fibrous minerals having relatively long and thin fibrous crystals. Asbestos was a widely used material for heat insulation in building materials and in various industrial applications in the United States from the late 19th century to the last quarter of the 20th century. Asbestos is still used in some applications (e.g., brake shoes and gaskets) today. The popularity of asbestos insulation was due, at least in part, to the very high resistance to heat, electricity, and chemical damage, high mechanical strength, as well as good acoustic insulation properties of the material. In many heat insulation applications, asbestos fibers are combined with a binder to form sheets, or are woven into fabrics or mats. The major drawbacks to the use of asbestos are the health and environmental hazards associated with exposure to the asbestos fibers. Asbestos exposure is linked to several serious illnesses, including mesothelioma, various forms of cancer, and asbestosis. Since the mid 1980s, many uses of asbestos have been banned around the world, particularly in applications where there would be wide spread workplace or consumer exposure.
Accordingly, there is an on-going need for alternatives to asbestos insulation materials due to the known health and environmental hazards associated with asbestos, particularly, for asbestos replacements having a liquidus temperature and heat resistance as close to that of asbestos as is feasible. The present invention provides such alternative asbestos replacement products and methods for producing such products.